ID :
165517
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 09:11
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/165517
The shortlink copeid
CHIN CHIN HAS COME UP THE TRADITIONAL WAY
By Fadzli Ramli
JASIN (Melaka, Malaysia), March 3 (Bernama) -- When driving along the Jasin-Tanggak road, one will not miss the signboard with the word 'Chin Chin'.
The name of this small town will immediately pique the imagination of any passer-by who may think the name has Chinese origins especially when looking at the Chinese traders dominating the place.
But according to the locals, the name of the place has nothing to do with the Chinese, the place was named after an incident that happened long ago.
Chin Chin like the rest of the towns and settlements under the Merlimau state constituency is now under the limelight due to the by-election there.
Zainal Abd Wahid, 65, noted that the place was originally known as Kampung Chin-Chin with the village believed to have been set up around 1600s.
It was then surrounded by other villages that appeared later -
Kampung Chenderah, Kampung Chin Chin Tengah, Kampung Chin Chin Hulu and the Kampung Chin Chin Loji Air.
There is a laterite gravestone of the original inhabitants of the village that can be seen in Chin-Chin.
THE LOG SAMPAN (BOAT) AND CARGO BICYCLE
According to what was handed down through the generations, Chin Chin originates from the Malay word "cincin" that means a wedding/engagement ring.
The story revolves around an incident when a wedding entourage set off on a sampan carved from a round log.
But as the sampan (boat) was not stable in the water, the ring accidentally dropped into the river.
"In those days the rivers were an important means of transport, the sampan of those days were not good like the present ones, they were often carved from a log and thus they were not stable," he said.
The ring was never found though the entourage took all efforts to look for it. Since then the place was named as Kampung Chin Chin.
Muhiddin Md Nor, 57, said Chin Chin in the 60s and 70s was surrounded by rubber and palm oil plantations and connected by laterite roads.
"At that time if one is to go anywhere they have to take that road, take the big bicycle that the locals here call as 'cargo' bicycles.
"Up to five or six of us could get on the bicycle, and when we hit a rock all of us fall in one go," he said.
He said in those days, rubber and palm oil were ferried on bicycles and those who were better off used the 'Honda C70' to ferry them on the laterite road.
THE RED LATERITE ROAD TURNED BLACK
He said, during the period, Chin Chin had no electricity and piped water and the families there depended on generators and wells.
But that is all history now because Chin Chin has undergone tremendous transformation, the red laterite road has been replaced with the tar roads and the lives of its dwellers too have changed tremendously for the better.
"There are light poles along the road, all homes in Chin Chin now enjoy water and electricity supply," he said.
There are other facilities available now like schools, community halls, kindergartens and police stations.
"Of late the place is seeing fast development and numerous projects have been implemented recently including the ones concerning tourism as the area and its people are rich in tourism value," he said.
One of the projects undertaken there is the water theme park that is set to put Chin Chin on the Melaka tourism map.
HIGH HOPES OF ITS DWELLERS
Amileen Natasha Rosli, 22, is exhilarated as she will be voting for the first time this Sunday not only to select her state assembly representative but also ensure a better future for the constituency.
"I want to see this place emerge as a tourism area, many of the traditional houses here added with their alluring surroundings can be transformed into homestay facilities," she said.
Meanwhile, Tay Bon Kiat, 58, noted that Chin Chin has all that it takes to turn into a tourism hotspot.
However, he felt that the roads can be widened to further improve the traffic flow, and also in some sections the roads were in need of repair.
According to the Election Commission (SPR) as of last Dec 27, the Chin Chin polling district has 2,151 voters out of the 10,767 voters in the whole of Merlimau constituency.
The by-election this Sunday, will see a straight fight between BN's Roslan Ahmad, 44, and PAS' Yuhaizad Abdullah, 38. The Merlimau state assembly seat fell vacant following the demise of its BN incumbent Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hassan,56, on Jan 20 due to a heart attack.
JASIN (Melaka, Malaysia), March 3 (Bernama) -- When driving along the Jasin-Tanggak road, one will not miss the signboard with the word 'Chin Chin'.
The name of this small town will immediately pique the imagination of any passer-by who may think the name has Chinese origins especially when looking at the Chinese traders dominating the place.
But according to the locals, the name of the place has nothing to do with the Chinese, the place was named after an incident that happened long ago.
Chin Chin like the rest of the towns and settlements under the Merlimau state constituency is now under the limelight due to the by-election there.
Zainal Abd Wahid, 65, noted that the place was originally known as Kampung Chin-Chin with the village believed to have been set up around 1600s.
It was then surrounded by other villages that appeared later -
Kampung Chenderah, Kampung Chin Chin Tengah, Kampung Chin Chin Hulu and the Kampung Chin Chin Loji Air.
There is a laterite gravestone of the original inhabitants of the village that can be seen in Chin-Chin.
THE LOG SAMPAN (BOAT) AND CARGO BICYCLE
According to what was handed down through the generations, Chin Chin originates from the Malay word "cincin" that means a wedding/engagement ring.
The story revolves around an incident when a wedding entourage set off on a sampan carved from a round log.
But as the sampan (boat) was not stable in the water, the ring accidentally dropped into the river.
"In those days the rivers were an important means of transport, the sampan of those days were not good like the present ones, they were often carved from a log and thus they were not stable," he said.
The ring was never found though the entourage took all efforts to look for it. Since then the place was named as Kampung Chin Chin.
Muhiddin Md Nor, 57, said Chin Chin in the 60s and 70s was surrounded by rubber and palm oil plantations and connected by laterite roads.
"At that time if one is to go anywhere they have to take that road, take the big bicycle that the locals here call as 'cargo' bicycles.
"Up to five or six of us could get on the bicycle, and when we hit a rock all of us fall in one go," he said.
He said in those days, rubber and palm oil were ferried on bicycles and those who were better off used the 'Honda C70' to ferry them on the laterite road.
THE RED LATERITE ROAD TURNED BLACK
He said, during the period, Chin Chin had no electricity and piped water and the families there depended on generators and wells.
But that is all history now because Chin Chin has undergone tremendous transformation, the red laterite road has been replaced with the tar roads and the lives of its dwellers too have changed tremendously for the better.
"There are light poles along the road, all homes in Chin Chin now enjoy water and electricity supply," he said.
There are other facilities available now like schools, community halls, kindergartens and police stations.
"Of late the place is seeing fast development and numerous projects have been implemented recently including the ones concerning tourism as the area and its people are rich in tourism value," he said.
One of the projects undertaken there is the water theme park that is set to put Chin Chin on the Melaka tourism map.
HIGH HOPES OF ITS DWELLERS
Amileen Natasha Rosli, 22, is exhilarated as she will be voting for the first time this Sunday not only to select her state assembly representative but also ensure a better future for the constituency.
"I want to see this place emerge as a tourism area, many of the traditional houses here added with their alluring surroundings can be transformed into homestay facilities," she said.
Meanwhile, Tay Bon Kiat, 58, noted that Chin Chin has all that it takes to turn into a tourism hotspot.
However, he felt that the roads can be widened to further improve the traffic flow, and also in some sections the roads were in need of repair.
According to the Election Commission (SPR) as of last Dec 27, the Chin Chin polling district has 2,151 voters out of the 10,767 voters in the whole of Merlimau constituency.
The by-election this Sunday, will see a straight fight between BN's Roslan Ahmad, 44, and PAS' Yuhaizad Abdullah, 38. The Merlimau state assembly seat fell vacant following the demise of its BN incumbent Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hassan,56, on Jan 20 due to a heart attack.
